Safety shoe



June 5, 1923. 1,457,402

J. F. SMITH SAFETY SHOE Filed Sept. 18, 1922 Patented June 5, 1923.

' I UNETEL: "s r; 1

l AS'ZAQZQ JOHN FLJSMITH, or TAUNTON; massacrmsnmzrsa SAFETY snon.

Application filedseptember 12s, 1922., s riaI na ssa siz Improvement in Safety Shoes, ofwhichthe following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters onthe drawings representing like parts, v

My invention relates to shoes and particularly, to a protectiveshoe adaptedto be worn by molders andothers: One illustrative embodiment of my invention is disclosed in the accompanying drawing wherein I Fig. 1 is aside elevationoffthe right shoe of a pair, with the parts in position as worn; Fi '2 is an elevation of the opposite side of the same shoe with theparts in open position; and V Fig; 3 is a; section upon the line 3-3 of Fig. 1 looking inythe direction of; the arrows. It has been customary heretofore'so far asI am aware for molders and others en'- gaged in handling molten metal to employ as an outer foot-covering a half boot or ankleboot having a permanently closed front, and which is drawn onto the foot inthe ordinary manner of a boot.v With such a boot, which for protective purposes, mustbe o-f'heavy le ather, it is impossible tosecure a snug fit of the upper about the ankle of the wearer, since said ankle portion of'the upper must be sufficiently large in diameter to permit the foot to, be inserted into the boot and readily to be removed therefrom. This is true even where such expedients are resortedto as slightly elastic inserts in the side of the boot upper; vAlso the boot must be of. a somewhat largersize over all than is neces sary wane lacedbootor shoe. A laced shoe, 7

however, cannot be worn by those engaged in the handling of molten metals for-the reasonthat drops of the molten metal may readily! enter the shoe at the instep quickly burning through the lacin'gs'and tongue and 1njuring the foot of thewe'are'ri Moreover, t is essential in this connection that the boot or shoe should be quickly removable by the wearer in case any-of the molten metal is illed upon the foo-t which ability to be qui gzly removed is lacking in a laced shoe.

My invention contemplates combining all the advantages of a laced shoe which may be of the proper si'zeto fit the foot and of the readily removable boot.

e r ng m re. pa c arly 9 he dew:

ings, thebootor shoe is indicated-as a wh ole;

at 1 andcomprises the rupper "Z' secured to an outsole 8 in a suitable manner: For'the purposesof illustration I have disclosed my invention in connection with a' shoe of'the weltltype, ()bviously, however, my im-c proved protective upper maybe employedin connection with any desired type of sole. As seen most clearly in Fig.13'the upper 2' is securedto an insole Aandtothe usua-lwelt 5 to which inturn is secured said outsoleS; The upper 2' is open at" the front or in,-

step 6, at which point theboot maybepm;

vided with the usual tongue not shown, ref= erably secured at both edges to the insi' e of,

the upper and of. relatively thin flexibl'e ina- I terial 'sufiiciently full to permit the "foot readv ily to be inserted into the shoel Saidopen 111g preferably andas shownherein extends from the top of the upper to 'a point forward of'the ball line. v p

, Along one side of the front portion 6 of" the upper 2 and preferably the side at the inside of the foo t'of the wearer is formed a broad flap-like memberor extension? of suflicient size and extent to be"foldeddown and across the instep and "to-extend" well down upon the opposite side' of the shoe. Saidfiap 7 preferably extends from *a'point adjacent the toe portion 'to the top fof the, upper. 52,- and as is c'learlyapparentin the drawings extends forwardly o-fthe ballline of the shoe. As herein shown,1said flap 7J-is secured to the front portion '6 oftheshoe upper 2' byth e line of stitching 8,1 If desired however, said flap portion 7 may be formed integrally with thfleishoe upper. Any suitable meansmay be provided for removably holding the flap '7 in" closed -position, such assnaps or the like rovided vonly that said means he era quiclt y releasable type' Herein for the piinpose have disclosed a: series of fasteners 9 positioned along the, outer'edgeof the" fla-p 7 and adaptthus avoiding any possibility of interference 7 between the shoes. Any suitable number of fasteners may be mployed and herein I have shown three fasteners and three cooperating studs. 1

From the above description it will readily be understood that the boot or shoe herein disclosed may be formed to fit snugly about the ankle of the wearer, leaving'no gap at the top of the shoe as in the case of the usual boot now worn which provides a ready entrance for molten metal and the like. The flap-like member 7 is of sufficient breadth and length fully to cover the instep portion, giving the wearer complete protection and rendering the boot practically proof against the entrance of molten metal or other extraneous matter.

Heretofore, with the boot ordinarily worn, a, molder who had received a burn might be incapacitated for the performance of his work for a period of weeks until the injury had completely healed, since in attempting to draw on the customary boot over the incompletely healed burn, the newly forming tissue would invariably be injured, greatly delaying the proper healing of the wound. To avoid such further injury, a inolder would frequently resort to cutting open the boot thereby lessening greatly its protec tive value. The shoe as herein disclosed,

however, may be put on comfortably and the flap folded down and fastened without damage to an incompletely healed burn even upon the instep of the wearer, the portion of the foot most frequently injured. At the same time Ihave provided a shoe which is practically instantaneously removable in the case of emergency, it being necessary only to grasp and pull up the edge of the flap, whereupon the shoe may be pulled or kicked off from the foot of the wearer.

' While my shoe is particularly adapted for wear by molders and others engaged in handling molten metals, obviously it is not limited to such use but is serviceable in any connection requiring a protective or waterproof shoe.

, Having thus described my invention I desire it to be understood that I am not limited to the particular illustrative embodiment disclosed, the scope of the inven tion being set forth in 1. A shoe havingan upper formed with a through opening at the front thereof and a flap-like extension along one edgeof said open front from a point adjacent the toe to the top of the upper and adapted to be folded across the instep and well down upon the following claims.

the opposite side of the shoe upper thereby to provide a relatively broad deeply-overlapping protective covering for the opening in the upper.

2. A protective shoe for molders having an upper open at the front thereof from the top to a point in the toe, a flap along one edge of said open front, and cooperating fastening means upon said flap and upon said upper whereby said flap may be securely held in closed position but may be instantly released to free the foot of the wearer of the shoe.

3. A protective shoe for molders having an upper provided with a through opening at the front thereof from the top to a point adjacent the toe anda broad flap-like extension along the entire length of one edge of said opening, said flap-like extension having a width at its lowermost port-ion at least equal to approximately one half its greatest width, a series of fasteners adjacent the free edge of said extension and cooperating means mounted directly upon the shoe upper well down on the side thereof opposite to that carrying said flap-like extension thereby releasably to secure said extension in deeply-overlappin closed position.

a. A protective sfioe having anupper provided with an opening from the top to a point forward of the ball. line, a broad flap-like extension along the entire length of one edge of said opening, a series of fasteners adjacent the free edge of said extension and cooperating means upon the shoe upper releasably to secure said extension in closed position across said opening.

5. A protective shoe having an upper provided with an opening from the top to a point forward of the ball line, a flap upon the upper along one side of said opening and quick-releasable fastening means for securing said flap in closed position across said opening.

6. A protective shoe having an upper provided with ajsubstantially central opening at the front thereof extending from the top of said upper to a point beyond the ball line of the shoe, a flap fixedupon the upper at one side thereof and having a series of fasteners adjacent its free edge and cooperating means upon the opposite side of the upper thereby to secure said flap in closed position. across said opening. f

.In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification. 1 

